Process of heterogeneous mixing spinning solutions and other viscous liquids or masses and the device thereof

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for mixing spinning solutions comprising a housing having a pair of inlet chambers and an outlet with a third chamber upstream of the outlet: a divider in the housing communicates the two inlet chambers with the third chamber so that streams from the inlet chambers are uniformly distributed over the cross-section of the third chamber in alternation. The divider includes a central core; or a pair of spaced apertured plates with conduits connecting apertures in one plate to apertures in another plate; or a structure including concentric rings.

United States Patent Lachman et al.

[451 Oct. 10, 1972 PROCESS OF HETEROGENEOUS MIXING SPINNING SOLUTIONS AND OTHER VISCOUS LIQUIDS OR MASSES AND THE DEVICE THEREOF Inventors: Rudolf Lachman; Jan Paszke; Stanislaw Kansy; Henry Pstrocki;

Janusz Ploszajski; Jan Wlszczor, all of Lodz, Poland Assignee: lnstytut Wlokien Sztucgnych i Syntetycznych, Lodz, Poland Filed: Jan. 2, 1970 Appl. No.: 5,403

Related us. Application Data Division of Ser. No. 811,263, Aug. 15, 1968, abandoned.

US. Cl ..259/4 Int. Cl. ..B0lf 15/02 Field of Search ..259/4, 18, 36; 23/252;

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,815,532 12/1957 Braunlich ..259/4 X 2,469,999 5/ 1 949 Stober ..264/ 349 3,544,078 12/ 1 970 Stupakis ..259/4 2,639,275 5/1953 Vickers ..25 9/4 Primary Examiner-Robert W. Jenkins Atmmey-lrvin A. Lavine 5 7] ABSTRACT Apparatus for mixing spinning solutions comprising a housing having a pair of inlet chambers and an outlet with a third chamber upstream of the outletza divider in the housing communicates the two inlet chambers with the third chamber so that streams from the inlet chambers are uniformly distributed over the cross-section of the third chamber in alternation. The divider includes a central core; or a pair of spaced apertured plates with conduits connecting apertures in one plate to apertures in another plate; or a structure including concentric rings.

3 Claims, 43 Drawing Figures PATENTEnum 10 I972 SHEET U1UF1O PATENTED I97? 3.697.051

' SHEET UZUF 10 PATENTEDIHBT 10 I912 3.697.051

SHEET OBUF 10 PATENTEDBCT 10 m2 SHEET- nu or 10 in VIII/Ia,

Q @mZK PATENTEDucI 10 I972 SHEET OSUF 1O P ATENTED 10 I972 3.697.051

SHEET U8UF 10 PROCESS OF I-IETEROGENEOUS MIXING SPINNING SOLUTIONS AND OTHER VISCOUS LIQUIDS OR MASSES AND THE DEVICE THEREOF This is a division of application Ser. No. 811,263, filed Aug. 15, 1968, now abandoned.

The invention relates to apparatus for heterogeneous mixing of spinning solutions for manufacturing two or multicomponent crimped fibers as well as for heterogeneous mixing of other viscous liquids.

The new trends of chemical fiber production relate to manufacture of twoor multicomponent synthesic fibers by simultaneously spinning various fiber-- forming polymers by using a common spinning nozzle.

Hence for manufacture of two-component crimped polyacrylonitrile fiber having increased fluffiness, apparatus heterogeneously mixing particular spinning solutions are used in order to obtain fibers having different thermal shrinkage of particular components along the fiber axis.

The very difficult problem in the manufacture of two or multi-component fiber two-or the proper mixing of particular spinning solutions in order to ensure a suitable arrangement of said solutions along the axis of the formed fibers. The apparatus formerly used for manufacturing tow-or multicomponent fiber are complicated from the structural point of view and they have the deficiency that they can be used only with a spinneret having a limited number of orifices. The apparatus according to the present invention enables the making of a spinneret having even more than 40,000 orifices.

The apparatus according to the invention permits the continuous introduction of spinning solutions and other viscous liquids to a mixer, wherein each of the solutions is introduced into a separate chambers, from which they are delivered through a divider to a common chamber in the form of streams uniformly distributed across the entire cross section of the chamber, and wherein streams of one solution are divided by streams of another solution.

Subsequently said streams are caused to rotate, which causes their twisting and longitudinal cutting, thus resulting in their mutual displacement and disintegration.

In some cases, e.g. where the liquids have low voscosity, it is necessary to prevent the flowing together of streams of the same solution, which would result in streams of large cross sections.

FIG. I is a longitudinal section of an apparatus which is particularly suitable for mixing viscous liquid, having low viscosity.

FIG. 2 is a transverse cross sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 1

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section of another embodiment in which a distributor includes a pair of spaced, apertured plates. FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line A-A of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5-11 show cross sections of slots and orifices of the divider. FIG. 12 shows the arrangement of the solution streams after leaving the divider.

FIGS. l3, 17, 21 and 25 are vertical cross sections of mixter apparatus for two spinning solutions, wherein the divider comprises concentric rings;

FIGS. 14, 18, 22 and 26 show the mutual orientation of slots and/or orifices in the divider rings;

0 the lines A A and B B of FIG. 30, respectively;

FIG. 30 is a transverse cross-section of the apparatus of FIGS. 29A and 29B;

FIG. 31 shows the relative positions of slots and/0r orifices in two adjacent rings of the divider of FIGS. 29A, 29B and 30;

FIG. 32 illustrates the flow of three solutions through and beyond the divider slots;

FIG. 33 shows the relative positions of particular streams of three solutions at the moment of their outflow from slots and/or orifices of the divider;

FIGS. 34 39 are elevational and sectional views showing the mutual orientation of slots and orifices in the divider rings of the device of FIGS. 29A, 29B and 30;

FIGS. 40 and 41 show the mutual arrangement of solution streams immediately after leaving the dividers of FIGS. 38 and 39, respectively;

FIG. 42 is a vertical section along the lines A A of FIG. 43, and FIG. 43 is a horizontal section along the line B B of FIG. 42, these views being of a plate divider forming part of the mixer of FIG. I, for the primary distribution of spinning solutions into particular ring chambers of mixers as shown in FIGS. 13, 17, 21, 25 and 29.

The device shown in FIG. 1 comprises a housing I provided with lateral inlet and bottom outlet pipes, closed at the top with the apertured cover 2 to which are clamped the flange and axial inlet pipe 8. An axially extending pipe 6 extends downwardly from the cover 2 which has the divider 3 and central core 5 attached to it. Thus, those parts divide the housing 1 into three chambers a, b, c so that the inlet chamber a is within the inlet chamber b and chamber 0 is just upstream of the outlet. A pair of guide rings 4 provided with vanes are mounted on the central core 5, the vanes extending between the core and the housing 1 and being inclined relative to the longitudinal axis. In the bottom part of the housing 1 a perforated plate 7, transverse of the longitudinal axis is provided in order to effect stronger break up of streams, if needed. The divider 3 is provided with slots and/or oriffices of various optional shapes as illustrated in FIGS. 5-1 1, which serve to communicate inlet chambers a and b with the chamber 0. The total transverse cross sectional area of the slots and/or orifices should not exeed of of the total active transverse cross sectional area of the divider. In the illustrative example of the divider 3 shown in FIG. 1, the active transverse cross sectional area of the divider amounts to 1r/4 /D d/, where D is the inner diameter of housing 1 and dis the diameter of core 5.

The linear arrangement of slots and/or orifices in the divider 3 as well the distance between them enables streams of the same solution with large cross sections to be formed as is shown in FIG. 10 12 where S 2,5 d.

The guide rings 4 are furnished with vanes which depending on need change optionally their position to effect stronger twisting and cutting of streams.

The apparatus shown in its variant in FIG. 3 includes a housing provided with a lateral inlet pipe, into the central portion 9 the housing including upper and lower portions 10 and 11, the latter being provided with perforated plate 12 positioned within and having orifices and/or slots inclined at different angles from 0 80 in relation to the longitudinal axis of the housing, which effect cutting and mutual rearrangement of streams. A divider 13 herein designated as a plate pipe type is placed tightly within the housing. The device 13 separates the housing into three chambers a b and c,

The plate pipe divider 13 comprises spaced apertured plates 14 and 15 with apertures and/or slots and of small pipes connecting a part of the apertures of the plate 14 with the apertures of the plate 15. One solution flows from the inlet chamber a, which is bounded by plate 15, through small pipes into the chamber a, while the solution from the chamber b, which is bounded plates 14 and 15, flows directly through apertures and/or slots ofthe plate 14 into the chamber c.

The total cross sectional areas of the apertures and/or slots in the plate 14 should not exceed of 85 percent of its total transverse cross sectional area. In order to obtain uniform quantity and size of cross-sections of particular streams and their uniform arrangement in the total cross section of the flowing solutions, the divider is in the form of an assembly of concentric rings.

Examples of dividers comprising a concentric ring assembly, are shown in the drawing where FIG. 13, 17, 21 and 25 are vertical sections of apparatus for two spinning solutions and FIG. 14, 18, 22, and 26, show the mutual orientation of slots and/or orifices in the divider rings, FIG. 15, 19, 23 and 27 show the flow oftwo solutions through slots of each of the dividers and the way ofjoining them, FIG. 16, 20, 24, and 28, show the mutual arrangement of particular streams of two solutions at the moment of their outflow from slots and/or orifices of the divider. The apparatus for three spinning solutions is shown in FIG. 29, its cross section -in FIG. 30, the mutual position of slots and/or orifices in two adjacent rings of the divider in FIG. 31, the flow of three solutions through divider slots and the way of joining them in FIG. 32, the mutual arrangement of particular streams of three solutions at the moment of their outflow from the slots and/or orifices of the divider in FIG. 33. Referring again to FIG. 13, 17, 21, 25 the apparatus for mixing two spinning solutions comprises the housing 16 closed at the top by the cover 17 having two inlet pipes and wherein are collectors 18 serving for separately introducing each of the spinning solutions into the annular spaces between the concentric rings.

The ring assembly defining the annular chambers 19 is fastened to the cover 17 by means of the connector 21.

Rings 20 are provided with rows of slots and/or orifices of optional shape wherein slots and/or orifices of one row do not overlap or only in part overlap slots and/or orifices of an adjacent row.

In this way spinning solutions flow suitably from the annular chambers 19 through slots and/or orifices as is shown in FIG. 15, 19, 23 and 27 forming in the bottom 4 part of the mixer apparatus a heterogeneous mixture which may be given a rotational motion by means of skew vanes 22 fixed in the bottom part of the mixer.

The distribution of particular streams of solutions is shown in FIG. 16, 20, 24, 28.

The mixer apparatus for three spinning solutions shown in FIG. 29 differs from the mixer apparatus for two solutions only by the quantity of collectors 18 and the mutual arrangement of slots and/or orifices in the divider what is shown in FIG. 31. In order to obtain the same flow conditions of spinning solutions in the total cross-section of the mixer, it is advantageous to use of a primary divider. Preferably, the primary divider is in the form of a plate divider 3 positioned in the mixer in advance of the ring assembly 20 as is shown in FIG. 42 and 43 wherein slots and/or orifices of the plate divider are suitably connected with ring chambers 19 of the mixer where a central and an annular inlet are provided. Thus, solutions are introduced separately into inlet chambers-23 from which through suitable slots and/or orifices of the divider 3 and through orifices in the plate 24 they flow into the annular ring chambers 19.

The apparatus according to the invention provides heterogeneous mixing of spinning solution and other viscous liquids as well as the dividing thereof to ensure the proper and desired arrangement of the particular spinning solutions, hence enable two or multicomponent crimped fibers to be produced, having novel and valuable properties.

Using the apparatus according to the invention and the device thereof for manufacture of e.g. polyacrylonitrile fibers enable fibers having stable spiral crimp and high degree of curling to be obtained which effect the fluffiness of goods manufactured therefrom.

The device according to the invention, furnished with a ring assembly enables the obtaining of particular streams of spinning solutions having cross sections suitably selected in respect to their quantity and size and also ensures the orientation and uniform distribution of said streams in the total cross section of displaced spinning solutions, thus enables two or multicomponent fibers having a more homogeneous three dimensional crimp and reproducible characteristics to be manufactured.

The device according to the invention can also be used for dyeing in the cake of fibers and plastics in order to obtain various color effects.

What we claim is:

1. Apparatus for heterogeneously mixing spinning solutions comprising:

a housing having first and second inlet means and an outlet spaced therefrom,

a pair of inlet chambers in said housing each connected with a said inlet means,

a third chamber in said housing upstream of and communicating with said outlet,

and divider means in said housing communicating said inlet chambers with said third chamber for introducing into said third chamber from said inlet chambers streams of solutions uniformly distributed over the cross-section of said third chamber with streams from said inlet chambers in alternation, said divider means comprising spaced 3 ,697 ,05 1 5 6 concentric ring means defining annular chambers orifices of one row at most only partially overlap the therebetween, said ring means comprising means discharge fic O ja ent OW- defining an annular row of discharge orifices The pp f of Claim 1, one Said inlet Chamber between adjacent ri means being concentric to another.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said discharge 5 

1. Apparatus for heterogeneously mixing spinning solutions comprising: a housing having first and second inlet means and an outlet spaced therefrom, a pair of inlet chambers in said housing each connected with a said inlet means, a third chamber in said housing upstream of and communicating with said outlet, and divider means in said housing communicating said inlet chambers with said third chamber for introducing into said third chamber from said inlet chambers streams of solutions uniformly distributed over the cross-section of said third chamber with streams from said inlet chambers in alternation, said divider means comprising spaced concentric ring means defining annular chambers therebetween, said ring means comprising means defining an annular row of discharge orifices between adjacent ring means.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said discharge orifices of one row at most only partially overlap the discharge orifices of an adjacent row.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, one said inlet chamber being concentric to another. 